Prologue:
No! There was an anguished scream, a flash of emerald light, and the room exploded with blood.
Hermione Granger fell sobbing to her knees beside her parents.
Then a leering face thrust itself in front of her; "now for you my pretty" snarled the masked deatheater.
Hermione could see her own distraught face reflected in the partially disinterred kitchen bench, lying beside her. She suddenly realized it was splattered with blood, and shrieked with pure terror.
The room spun before a distraught Hermione's eyes, and just before she lost consciousness she had a vision of a tall man with wild black hair tearing the death eater away from her.
Hermione woke with a start, her heart pounding as the last dregs of the dream slipped away. As she raised her head, she cracked it painfully on the dark gravestone beside her.
The inscription read;
Frances Granger
1964-2007
Christopher Granger
1959-2007
Beloved parents and excellent dentists
Every time Hermione read those words it brought bitter tears to her eyes. She should have protected them better. She shouldn't have been so careless. She should have tried harder.
Shivering in the dew soaked grass; Hermione pulled her tatters of a robe closer around her, then reached for her bag.
The sky was still flecked with stars, though a thin line of red showed along the horizon. Not that Hermione cared about the beauties of nature anymore.
Not that Hermione cared about anything anymore.
As she reached desperately into her bat with filthy white shaking fingers, Hermione lifted her head suspiciously. Someone magical was close. Someone, whoever it was, she did not want to meet.
After carefully surveying the area, Hermione decide that she was safe. Swiftly and expertly, she gave herself an injection, then sighed a sighed with relief as euphoria rushed over her.
He strode purposefully towards the